Driver cleared over mother and son death crash on M8

A FRENCHWOMAN who had been accused of causing the deaths of a mother and her toddler son in a horror road smash walked free from court yesterday.

Jennifer Lunet, aged 30, was alleged to have swerved across a 40mph contraflow and collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction on the M8 motorway.

Laura Binns, 30, and her two-year-old son Kieran died in the two-car smash near Harthill, Lanarkshire on August 31, 2008.

Amanda Young, Laura's sister, survived the crash.

Lunet had been visiting friends in Helensburgh and returning to Livingston on the day of the crash.

A trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court had heard claims she suffered from a heart condition that could have caused her to black out at the wheel.

And yesterday Lunet sobbed as a majority verdict of not proven was delivered by the jury in under two hours.

The week long trial had earlier heard claims Lunet suffers from a heart condition that may have caused her to lose consciousness while driving.

The court heard that following the fatal crash she was fitted with a heart monitor and that in November 2009 an abnormal reading was recorded which occurred during or after she had had sexual intercourse with her partner.

On Monday Lunet repeatedly broke down in court as she told a jury she was upset while giving evidence because she knew "two people had died in the accident".